Apparatus for blending liquids



Jan. 24, 1939. A. H. RINEY ET AL APPARATUS FOR BLENDING LIQUIDS File d Sept. 10, 1955 I JNVENTOR. ARTHUR H.

RINEY -T. GIBBS L LOYD A TTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2.145.133 srrsnsrus roa smmmre mourns Arthur H. Riney and Lloyd 'r. Gibbs, Bartlesville, Okla, assignors to Phillips Petroleum Company, Delaware Bartlesviile, Okla, a corporation of This invention relates to improved apparatus for blending and dispensing fluids, and in par ticular relates to new and improved fluid blending devices.

The object of this invention is to provide an efflcient and accurate device whereby a plurality of fluids may be blended and mixed in any predetermined desired proportion.

Another object of this invention is to. provide a device for blending andmixing a plurality oifluids whereby the proportions of the liquids constituting the blend can be positively and accurately controlled.

While the present invention has a wide range of adaptability and may be used in connection with the blending and mixing of practically any type or kind of fluids, the embodiment of the invention to be herein described has been designed with anespecialvlew to handling liquids of the hydrocarbon type, such as gasoline, fuel oil; and the like.

Still further objects and'advantages of this invention will be appreciated and become more apparent upon a consideration of the following a part thereof,,and wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several 4 views, and wherein,

Fig. 1. illustrates diagrammatically one embodiment of the fluid blending and dispensing device,

Fig. 2 is a vertical and sectional view of one form of the fluid blending device.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the blending device taken on line 3-4 of Fig. 2.

In Fig. 1- there is diagrammatically illustrated a system and apparatusfor blending and dispensing liquich which consists of a pair of tanks II and II; each constituting .a different typemf liquid, and which are connected by the plpes ll 'andil' respectively to the inlets l2 and ll of a blending device or unit I l. The outlet ll ofthe blending device discharges the blended liquids into a pipe I. in which there is interposed a suction 45 pump i1 and a liquid volume flow meter IS. The blendlngunit I4 is of such a type, as will presently be described, that it is capable of handling a plurality of different liquids and blending them-in any desired proportion to produce asingle liquid comprising a mixture. I

In Fig. 1 it will be noted that the pump I! is interposed in pipe I on the discharge side of the blending unit I, and the full purpose of this will be explained later.

One type of blending unit is illustrated in Piss.

2 and 3 and from the later' view it will be seen that the same includes a housing or casing composed of a'front wall 20 and a rear wall 20'. The rear wall is formed with the two inlets 2| and 22,-both of which are screw threaded for connection with pipes. Formed, just interiorly of the inlets 2| and 22 in the rear wall 20 there are a pair of vertically arranged elongated slots 23 and 24, which are clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. It should be noted that the slot 24 is considerably longer than the slot 23, and although they both extend to the same height, slot 24 extends downwardly a considerable distance further than slot 23. Between the casing walls 20 and 20' there is positioned a plate 25 having formed therein the rectangular orifices 26 and 21 which are arranged in alignment withlnlets 2i and 22 respectively, and which are separated by the web 28. The

orifices 26 and 21 are shown in full lines in Fig. 3,

and by dotted lines in Fig. 2. The front wall 20' of the casing is so formed as to include an interiorv accommodate a pipe. specification and the attached drawing, forming A pair of verticallyslidable plates are positioned in the elongated slots 23 and 24. In slot 23 there is positioned the slidable plate ll which is substantially square in shape, while in slot 24 there is positioned the slidable plate 32 which is substantially rectangular in contour, and has a rectangular aperture or window 33 formed in the top portion thereof which is of a size slightly larger than the orifice 21 formed. in plate 2|. Due to the construction of the plates 3| and '22 as just explained it will be appreciated that with these plates in the positionshown in Figs. 2 and 3, plate ii is completely closing orifice 26, while orifice 21 is open by virtue of the window 38 in plate 32. The plates. 3| and-.522 are capable of vertical movement so that the ports 26 and 21 may be opened to any desired degree. Plate ii is supported upon the lower end of the stem 24, which in turn is suspended from one end of the cross arm 85. likewise plate 32 is supported by stem 26 which is suspended from the other end of the arm 25. Suitablepackings 31 and gland nuts ll are provided for the stems 24 and 36 at the point where they pass through guideways formed in the blending unit housing or casing.

The central portion of the cross arm 35 is provided with a threaded aperture at 2! through which passes the screw threaded stem 40. The stem ll is provided with an enlarged head 4| which is housed in a recess 42 formed in the top portion of the blending unit casing or hous-.

ing. Upon the upper end of stem 40 there is secured a hand wheel 43, and below the cross arm 35 and upon the stem 46 there is fixed a nut 44 which serves to restrict the downward movement of the cross arm 36 and thereby also limit the downward movement of the plates 3| and 32. ,From the above description of the blending unit illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 it will be appreciated that when the plates 3| and 32 are in the position shown, the orifice 26 will be completely closed, while the orifice 21 will be entirely open. Now by rotating the hand wheel 43 the cross arm 36 will be caused to ride upon the threaded stem 46 and in this manner the stems 34 and 36 will lift or raise the plate's'3l and 32. The upward movement of the plate 3! will start to uncover or open orifice 26, while the same movement of plate 32 will begin to close orifice 21. Upon the continued upward movement of these plates the area of the several orifices will vary, with the open area of orifice 26 increasing in direct proportion to the decrease in the open area of orifice 21. This relation will exist until the plates 3| and 32 reach their uppermost limit, at which time orifice 26 will be entirely open and orifice 2'! will be completely closed. The several orifices and their respective plates are of such a size and so related that the combined open area of the two orifices at any time and during any position remains a fixed constant, which is equal in area to the area of either of the orifices.

Assuming that a liquid blending device of the type above described is incorporated in the liquid blending system and method of dispensing as illustrated in Fig. 1 and that the same replaces the blending unit H, one type of liquid from tank It would flow through pipe -|l into the inlet 2|, and a second type of liquid from tank l0 would flow through pipe ll into inlet 22. By

movement of the hand wheel 43 the plates 3| and 32 may be regulated so as to adjust and control the size of the open area of the orifices 26 and 21 so that the two liquids may be mixed in any desired proportion. Due to the web 26 being interposed between the orifices 26 and 21 there is no danger or chance of the liquids leaking from one inlet to the other and so producing inaccuracies in the blend. The two liquids after flowing thrugh the orifices 26 and 21, as regulated and controlled by the plates an and n, then -By positioning the pump I1 on the discharge side of the blending device positive assurance is made that a true mixture and blending of the liquids will take place in strict accordance with the size of the open area of the several orifices. This is true because the suction on both orifices is uniform, and the liquid will flow therethrough in proportion to the size of the open area thereof.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for blending and mixing a plurality of fiuids of diflerent characteristics in predetermined proportions, comprising a housing, a mixing chamber therein, inlets in said housing connecting with said chamber, a movable plate having an opening therein for controlling the open area of one of the said inlets and an imperi'orate movable plate for controlling the open area of another said inlet, the two plates being connected for simultaneous movement in the same direction.

2. An apparatus for blending and mixing a plurality of fluids of different characteristics in predetermined proportions, comprising a housing, a mixing chamber therein, inlets in said housing connecting with said chamber, a movable plate having an opening therein for controlling the open area of one of said inlets and an imperforate movable plate for controlling the open area 01 another said inlet, the combined open areas in the inlets'for any position of the movable plates being equal to the full opening of any one inlet.

3. An apparatus for blending and mixing a plurality of fluids of different characteristics in predetermined proportions, comprising a housing, a mixing chamber therein, inlets in said housing connecting with said chamber, a movable plate having an opening therein for controlling the open area of one of said inletsand an imperforate movable plate for-controlling the open area of another said inlet, means for actuating the two plates.

ARTHUR H. RINEY. LLOYD T. GIBBS. 

